Topic: Hashtag ENDSARS

Text: Philippians 2:5

Key verse: You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. – Philippians 2:5

Mindsets are visible to others through attitudes. They are not gradually changed there are replaced out rightly. You don’t patch mindsets you drop them if you are persuaded that is wrong for you and you pick up the alternative. When there is a mindset change, the individual is focused on a particular thing that becomes an overriding goal or pursuit and is willing to pay any price required to achieve it.

If you are a resident of Nigeria or have listened to the news lately, you will be familiar with the topic of our devotional today.  The generation of Nigerian parents born in the fifties and sixties have lamented about their children, the Millennials tagging them as having an entitlement mentality, selfish and docile. The youths have been indifferent to issues about governance, the economy, and even their education. So many of them at thirty years still live with their parents as dependants and are not willing to make an effort to break out of the shackles of unemployment or under-employment. The statistics of the unemployed keep rising as more students leave school and the nation’s leaders are simply not making it a priority by making drastic policy changes to resolve the issue.

Suddenly, we woke up to a bubbling, a rising, a murmuring until it became a voice crying ENDSARS. What changed? What is different? They are so many answers possible to these questions, but one thing is obvious, there is a resolve, a passion to take action, and produce a permanent change no matter the cost. The protests have no religious undertone, no tribal sentiments, and no political influence. They are becoming a formidable army ready to fight for their mission. Financial sacrifices, physical effort, resilience in the face of push backs from the police, thugs, and threats are the characteristics of the protests. They are fighting from their place of strength: the Internet.

Now the parents and grandparents are part of the protests too. We can learn from this fact that change is possible if we are motivated either by pain or pleasure. This is similar to what happened to Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, Gideon, Esther, and Saul called Paul. You have contemporary examples in history that  reveal the power of a mindset change, a complete change in attitude.

But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land which he explored, and his descendants will possess the land – Numbers 14:24

“Bring together all the Jews in Susa and tell them to go without eating for my sake! Don’t eat or drink for three days and nights. My servant girls and I will do the same. Then I will go in to see the king, even if it means I must die.” – Esther 4:16

For we cannot stop speaking of what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:20

Fearful Peter suddenly arose and was ready to confront the rulers and religious leaders after a season of denial and flight from following Jesus. What changed, what happened, what did he see or hear? Paul gives us a secret to how this is possible for believers, it is a change of mind, a complete change of thought patterns.

and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: – Philippians 2:5 (CEV)

Everyone who had this mindset change suddenly rose from obscurity to the limelight, became relevant, and lived a life of significance.Does this sound like what you want to see happen in your life? Are you ready to make that move to come out of the tombs and break off the shackles of limitations? Then join this journey of discovery of the Mind of Christ and be restored to your right mind in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Roses&Thorns